


Yellow Pearl likes Pop Music

by Griffin Raynor (TheEbonHawk)



Series: i'm coming into view as the world is turning [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Discovering New Things, Freedom, Friendship, Gen, Music, Yellow Pearl is slowly getting used to independence, background/eventual bloop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21634132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEbonHawk/pseuds/Griffin%20Raynor
Summary: Shortly after Steven Universe came around and changed the way everything works on Homeworld, he befriends Yellow Pearl and encourages her to make a few small changes of her own.
Relationships: Yellow Pearl & Steven Universe
Series: i'm coming into view as the world is turning [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559350
Kudos: 5





	Yellow Pearl likes Pop Music

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of a few fics I've been working on to explore the Pearls, Spinel, and other Gems under the Diamond Authority once it's gone. I have several ideas for this series so if you're interested to see more, please leave kudos and reviews! Constructive criticism is welcome as long as it's not the entirety of your comment. Thanks for reading!

It started when Steven introduced Yellow Pearl to Earth music.

It was about three weeks after the Diamonds announced the end of their Empire throughout space. A lot of Gems were still rattled, and a lot meaning almost everyone. Off-Color Gems and quiet rebels like Lemon Jade were overjoyed, but many who were used to the way things had always been were confused and unsettled.

Yellow Pearl was one of these. 

"I just  _ cannot _ understand," she sighed, watching the Diamonds ready themselves for a meeting with their Agates. “The new era of the Gem Empire is just beginning. Why would they want to give that all up now?”

Steven frowned as he contemplated what to say. The Pearls and all other Gems previously under the Diamond’s rule were officially free now, but some of them, like Yellow and Blue Pearl, were still serving their Diamonds without any apparent plans to start their own lives. They were bound by something stronger than just the law or social convention - to be truly free, they first had to imagine what freedom meant to them. 

“The Empire was hurting everyone,” Steven explained. It felt like the fiftieth time he’d given a speech like this. “Before the Diamonds gave it up, everyone was fighting, and lots of Gems were really unhappy. No one was free to do what they wanted to do, not even the Diamonds.”

Yellow Pearl shrugged. “If this is about your ‘fun,’ we could’ve done  _ that _ without undoing Gem society.” 

“Maybe you could sometimes, but now you can do whatever you want all the time! Come on, Yelp, isn’t there anything new you really want to try?”

Yellow Pearl made a face at the nickname. “Steven,  _ please  _ don’t call me Yelp. ‘Pearl’ or ‘Yellow Pearl’ will suffice.”

“Okay, sorry, Pearl. But think about it! You don’t have to hang around this palace all the time anymore. You could go anywhere! You could go to Earth.”

“Why would I ever want to go there?”

“So you can discover new things! Like music! Have you ever heard Earth music?”

“Homeworld music is perfectly adequate.”

“But for all you know Earth music is great! You won’t know if you don’t try it.”

The Diamonds had finished their discussion with the Agates and now Blue Diamond was waving Steven over somewhat impatiently. Yellow Pearl rolled her eyes before she could quite catch herself. 

“Be right there, Blue.” Steven reached into his pants pocket and clumsily retrieved his cell phone, almost dropping it in his haste. “Here, try this.” He pulled up a music app and practically thrust it into Yellow Pearl’s hands. “Play yourself some music. Whatever looks interesting!”

With that, he started to walk away, leaving Yellow Pearl somewhat startled and confused. “Steven?! How do I operate this thing?”

Steven just waved at her, still running across the ballroom. “You’re smart! You can figure it out! Have fun!” And with that, he bounded across the room and started chatting with the Diamonds, leaving Yellow Pearl to puzzle out the strange human device. 

Pearl hesitantly began experimenting with the screen, scrolling through what appeared to be a list of tracks and then clicking on one. Music began to play, something alien and strange with an absurdly fast beat and notes that sounded nothing like any instrument Pearl had ever heard. Initially she was shocked, but before she deemed the song unpleasant and stopped it, she gave it a second thought and quickly changed her mind.    
  
Steven stole a look back at her a few moments later and saw her grinning with stars in her eyes. He smiled.

☆♬○♩●♪✧♩

Six months later, Yellow and Blue Pearl each moved into their own rooms in the palace. Before, there was never the need for them to have their own space, as they rarely left their Diamond’s side. Now, though, each of them was being encouraged to take time away from their Diamonds and explore their own interests in their own time. Their service to the Diamonds was entirely at their own discretion (although Yellow often caught her Diamond slipping into old habits and trying to give orders before remembering herself.)

Yellow enjoyed having her own room, being able to decorate it - mostly by pinning up drawings of herself that Blue had made for her - but there was something unsettling about it, too. It felt lonely, especially since she didn’t sleep. 

Blue slept, though, and as the days went by Yellow found herself spending more and more time in Blue’s room with her, both as she slept and while she was awake. It helped with the loneliness. 

Steven’s frequent visits to Homeworld also helped. He was always discussing something or other with the Diamonds, whether it was freeing imprisoned Gems or dismantling the Authority’s structures on colonized planets or researching ways of eventually restoring life to old Kindergartens, and afterwards he would usually check up on the Gems in the palace, including Blue and Yellow Pearl. This time when he visited, Yellow was finally ready to show him her new room. 

She beamed as she showed him all her pictures and the small amount of personal trinkets she’d begun to accumulate on her desk. 

Steven seemed charmed by what she’d done with the space, but there was still a small frown on his face when he finished looking around. “It’s really nice. But is this enough room for you?”

Yellow scoffed. “It’s  _ more  _ than enough. It’s very nice to have space for my things, but I don’t really need a room all to myself. In fact, I stay with Blue more often than not. Pearls really aren’t meant to be solitary, you know.”

Steven considered.  _ Pearl  _ Pearl, the renegade, had kept a room to herself as long as he’d known her, spending plenty of time on her own and valuing her privacy. But then, she was pretty different from Yellow, and had been an independent Pearl for a while. “I guess that makes sense. As long as you’re comfortable.”

Yellow Pearl made a face and shrugged. “You know, I never really thought about it before you came to Homeworld. I suppose I  _ am  _ comfortable, but it still feels strange to be changing things so much, and I’m not sure I’d say I was  _ uncomfortable  _ to begin with.”

Steven smiled. “That’s okay, too! Change usually feels a little weird, but it can still be good. And things don’t have to be really bad in order to get better.”

Yellow rolled her eyes. “Do you have an answer for everything, Steven Universe?”

The boy chuckled, but there was something slightly irregular about how the expression affected his eyes (as in, it didn't quite seem to meet them.) “Not at all, Pearl, but I try.”


End file.
